Duranillin, Western Australia

Duranillin Western Australia
Duranillin
Population:	190[1]
Established:	1916
Postcode:	6393
Location:	223 km (139 mi) from Perth 84 km (52 mi) from Wagin 84 km (52 mi) from Collie
LGA:	Shire of West Arthur
State District:	Wagin
Federal Division:	O'Connor

Coordinates: 33°30′50″S 116°48′07″E / 33.514°S 116.802°E / -33.514; 116.802

Duranillin is a small town located in the Wheatbelt region of Western Australia, 24 kilometres (15 mi) south of Darkan near the junction of the Arthur and Beaufort rivers.

History

The town's name is of Aboriginal origin and was first recorded by a surveyor in 1877, as with Moodiarrup further south, but the meaning of the name is not known. The town was established in 1916 when the Collie-Wagin railway was built^[2], and gazetted in 1918.^[3]

The first building was a store built by Lewis Hibble, and was followed in the 1920s by a few settlers. Until 1968, the railway was the main employer in the town, and a major timber mill operated by the Hughes family operated here which employed three or four families.^[4]

Present day

Duranillin today is a small town with a post office and store. It serves as a trading post and meeting place for the farming families and agricultural community in the broader area, and periodically stages local events which attract visitors.

Lake Towerrinning, located south of the town, is the main attraction of the area - a semi-freshwater lake covering 256 hectares (633 acres), and a popular swimming spot with picnic areas and clean sandy beaches, offering water skiing and swimming as well as serving as a sanctuary for aquatic bird life - over 57 varieties of bird have been observed in the area. The State Government announced plans to upgrade facilities at the lake in May 2006.^[5] A small winery is also nearby.

Lake Towerrinning is an impact crater, and you will find small, glazed black pebbles which are remnants of the original objects that hit the earth there.

References

1. ^ Australian Bureau of Statistics (25 October 2007). "Duranillin (State Suburb)". 2006 Census QuickStats. http://www.censusdata.abs.gov.au/ABSNavigation/prenav/LocationSearch?collection=Census&period=2006&areacode=SSC53791&producttype=QuickStats&breadcrumb=PL&action=401. Retrieved 2011-04-18. 
2. ^ Cross Country to Wagin Milne, Rod Australian Railway Historical Society Bulletin, September, 1991 pp207-214
3. ^ Western Australian Land Information Authority. "History of country town names". http://www.landgate.wa.gov.au/corporate.nsf/web/History+of+country+town+names. Retrieved 2007-04-17. 
4. ^ "Albany Gateway - Duranillin". Archived from the original on 2006-08-31. http://web.archive.org/web/20060831080658/http://www.albanygateway.com.au/Town/Darkan/Township_of_Duranillin/. Retrieved 2006-10-14. 
5. ^ Department of Planning and Infrastructure. "Wheatbelt boating facilities to be upgraded (press release)". http://www.dpi.wa.gov.au/aboutus/13931.asp.